a thread opens
And he answered, You shall not strike them: would you strike those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? set bread and water before them, so that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.
The Vigil
Today’s scroll, one verse at a time — each linked to the last by the cross-references rather than by any model of you. The same vigil for everyone, and a different one tomorrow.
Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.
from II Kings 6:22
And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, they buried in Shechem, in a plot of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
from Genesis 48:22 · a strong link
And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and you shall carry up my bones away hence with you.
from Joshua 24:32 · a strong link
And Joseph said to his brothers, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
from Exodus 13:19
a thread opens
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men everywhere to repent:
from Acts 20:21
When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then has God also to the Gentiles granted repentance to life.
from Acts 17:30
For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich to all that call upon him.
from Acts 11:18 · a strong link
The LORD is near to all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
from Romans 10:12
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.
from Psalms 145:18 · a strong link
a thread opens
Be it known to you therefore, men and brothers, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins:
Him has God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
from Acts 13:38
And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
from Acts 5:31
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
from I John 4:14
Having yet therefore one son, his beloved, he sent him also last to them, saying, They will reverence my son.
from John 3:16 · a strong link
And look, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
from Mark 12:6
Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
from Matthew 3:17
a thread opens
Because he has appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.
But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved to fire for the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
from Acts 17:31
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall grow old like a garment, and they that dwell in it shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
from II Peter 3:7
And, You, Lord, in the beginning have laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of your hands:
from Isaiah 51:6
a thread opens
For truly against your holy child Jesus, whom you have anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
from Acts 4:27 · a strong link
And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.
from Matthew 27:2 · a strong link
And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Pretorium; and they call together the whole band.
from Matthew 20:19
And went again into the judgment hall, and said to Jesus, Where are you from? But Jesus gave him no answer.
from Mark 15:16
a thread opens
You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do you.
And do not grieve the holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed to the day of redemption.
from Acts 7:51
You have bought me no sweet cane with money, neither have you filled me with the fat of your sacrifices: but you have made me to serve with your sins, you have wearied me with your iniquities.
from Ephesians 4:30
Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates: they are a trouble to me; I am weary to bear them.
from Isaiah 43:24
I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not delight in your solemn assemblies.
from Isaiah 1:14
To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to me? says the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of young bulls, or of lambs, or of he goats.
from Amos 5:21 · a strong link
a thread opens
And he said to me, Depart: for I will send you far hence to the Gentiles.
But the Lord said to him, Go your way: for he is a chosen vessel to me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
from Acts 22:21 · a strong link
At my first defense no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.
from Acts 9:15
And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
from II Timothy 4:16 · a strong link
And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all.
from Acts 7:60
And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed.
from Acts 20:36
Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.
from Acts 21:5
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from II Kings 6:22 along this chain. Today’s own vigil is laid separately.
Each verse follows the one before it along the chain a study Bible draws — a century old, public, and compiled by people arguing about Scripture rather than about how long you stay. Every card says which verse it came from and opens the chapter it belongs to. Today’s vigil is the same for every reader and is worked out from the date alone, so there is no account, no counter, and nothing stored in your browser or ours.
The text is the Lantern Modern Standard. The links are openbible.info’s cross-reference set (CC BY), the same apparatus behind the reader’s Echoes drawer. Read a whole book · Today’s table